Adjustable measuring device

ABSTRACT

Leakage past the sliding dam structure in an adjustable measuring spoon or scoop is stopped by extending an edge-mounted seal into the space between the dam structure and the side flange of the slider to which the dam structure is attached, or by providing thin, flexible curved edges to the dam structure to increase the area of sealing contact with the inside walls of the bowl in which the dam structure slides. Increased surface contact is provided due to the angle that the dam edges make with the inner bowl surface areas.

This invention relates to adjustable measuring devices such asadjustable measuring spoons and scoops.

Adjustable measuring spoons and scoops are well known and widely used.Adjustable spoons and scoops sold by the predecessor of the assignee ofthis patent application are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.5,182,948; Pat. D403,256 and Pat. D452,177, and others. Such priordevices are convenient to use to provide variable measurements of dry orliquid materials used in the kitchen.

When used to measure liquids, such adjustable devices often use flexiblesealing members along the edges of slidable dam members to preventleakage of the liquids past the dam members. Despite the utility andconvenience of such prior devices, there are still problems with themwhich need solution.

Manufacturing cost is always a problem, since such devices need to be ofmoderate or low cost to be competitive in the marketplace.

Another problem is that prior sealing members have been found to leakunder certain circumstances, and particularly when measuring lowviscosity fluids such as those containing alcohol.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide improvedadjustable measuring devices which alleviate or resolve theabove-identified problems.

In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide an adjustablemeasuring device which will measure any and all liquids with minimal orno leakage.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device whichis less costly to manufacture.

In accordance with the present invention, it has been discovered thatprior adjustable measuring spoons and scoops sometimes leak in thespaces at the uppermost intersections between the movable sliding damstructure and the flanges which allow the cover of the device to besnapped on and snapped off for easy cleaning. Accordingly, a sliding damis provided with a molded outer rubber-like sealing edge, and the edgeis extended upwardly into the space between the side flanges and theslider dam member, and the sealing member is anchored to the coverstructure to hold it in place.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the sliding dam member ismade with a semi-bowl shape having curved edges which bear against theinternal walls of the bowl of the measuring device at a low angle.Preferably, the angle is less than 45°. More preferably, the angle isapproximately 9° to 16°, and most preferably is about 13°. Also, thematerial of the dam member at those curved edges is tapered to a reducedthickness so as to make it very flexible and the dam member isdimensioned to form an interfering fit when inserted into the bowl. Thisurges the flexible edges of the slidable dam member against the bowl'sinternal sidewalls to provide a good seal. This dam memberadvantageously comprises a single molded part which is substantiallyless expensive to manufacture than a dam member with a seal co-molded toits outer edge. Leakage at the intersections of the dam member and thesidewalls is avoided by the extended contact area of the slider with thesidewalls, and by filling the space between the slider and the sidewallswith the slider structure.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will be set forth in andapparent from the following description and drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable measuring spoonconstructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a an enlarged cross sectional, partially broken away view ofthe device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the underside and frontportion of the slider member and cover of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged perspective view of a portion of thestructure shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional, partially broken away view of a portion ofthe structure shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of theadjustable measurement device of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, broken away detailed view of a portion of thestructure in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a broken away cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 ofFIG. 8.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The adjustable measuring device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 is anadjustable measuring spoon. The adjustable measuring device 72 shown inFIGS. 6 through 9 is an adjustable measuring scoop, which is larger thanthe spoon. It should be understood that the construction of eitherembodiment of the invention is readily usable in either a spoon or ascoop simply by scaling the structure up or down, as needed.

FIGS. 1-5 Embodiment

Referring first to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the adjustable spoon 10includes a base structure having an elongated bowl 12 and a handle 14which is integral with the bowl 12. The bowl 12 includes sidewalls 18, afront end-wall 20, and a rear-wall 24 (see FIG. 2). A slider 16 ismounted to cover a portion of the bowl and handle, and is dimensioned sothat it covers the bowl portion behind the slider when it is in itsforward-most position. The slider has a dam structure 26 with a sealingmember 28 on its outer edge. The dam structure 26 fits into the bowl 12and is contoured to slide within the bowl with the sealing member 28 inintimate contact with the internal sidewalls of the bowl.

The slider 16 is mounted to slide longitudinally with respect to thebody of the spoon along side rails such as the rail 52 shown in FIG. 1by side flanges 36 and 38 which snap onto the side rails to allow thesliding dam member 26 to move to different positions within the bowl 12to provide an adjustable measurement volume. The slider has a beveledfrontal area 56.

Measurement indicia 42 are printed on the top of the handle portion 14,and the slider 16 is dimensioned so that its rear edge 40 comes intoalignment with different ones of the indicia 42 to thereby indicate theapproximate volume of the space in the bowl defined by the position ofthe dam member 26.

The cover of the slider 16 has a central recessed area 32 with aplurality of upstanding cleats 34, which provide a gripping means for afinger or thumb when it is used to slide the slider member. The bottomwall 58 of the recess 32 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Referring to FIG. 2 as well as FIG. 1, the forward progress of theslider in its longitudinal movement is stopped by a pair of stop members42 and 46. The rear-most position of the sliding dam member is definedby a stop member 54 (FIG. 2) which extends from the surface of therear-wall 24 and limits the rearward movement of the dam member 26.

A plurality of vertical notches such as notches 48 and 50 shown in FIG.2 are provided on the outsides of the handle structure to form detentpositions at which the rear edge 40 of the slider will be aligned withone of the measurement lines 42 printed on the top of the handle.

FIG. 3 of the drawings is an enlarged view of the underside of theslider 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the detent structure also includesgrooves or cut-outs 60 on the insides of both flanges 38 and 36, andincludes a pair of projections 62, only one of which is visible. Thegrooves 60 reduce the thickness of the flange to make it more flexibleand the projections 62 fit into the grooves 48 and 50 to stop theslider's movements so that the rear edge 40 of the slider is alignedwith one of the measurement indicia 42 (FIG. 1).

Still referring to FIG. 3, the peripheral sealing member 28 is made offlexible, rubber-like material called “TPR” (thermoplastic rubber) andis secured to the edges of the dam member 26 by the known process of“co-molding”. This forms a secure connection between the sealing member28 and the dam member 26. The sealing member 28 is tapered, as shown inFIG. 5, and is flexible like a windshield-wiper blade.

The sealing member 28 has been provided on devices supplied to thepublic in the past. However, applicant has discovered that such asealing arrangement, although usually satisfactory, sometimes hasleaked, especially when liquids are placed in the bowl for measurementand left for a certain period of time before being dispensed. Thisphenomenon was especially common when the liquids being measured were oflow viscosity and contained alcohol, such as vanilla or lemon extract,etc. The source of this leakage was unknown for a long time, and it wasdifficult to find, despite continued study of the problem. Applicant hasdiscovered that, apparently, the liquid “wicks” upwardly in the cornersof the darn structure where the space is formed between the sliding dammember 26 and the outside flanges 36 and 38; that is, in the spaces 64.

Therefore, in accordance with this discovery and in accordance with thepresent invention, the sealing member 28 is extended downwardly andsideways in the spaces 64, as shown at the left side of FIG. 3 and inFIG. 4, so that an L-shaped segment 66 of the sealing member 28 with anenlarged foot portion 70 is secured in a recess 68 in the material ofthe cover so as the seal the top edges of the bowl against the cover.This provides a seal to prevent the wicking of the liquid and resultingleakage.

FIGS. 6-9 Embodiment

As noted above, FIG. 6 shows an adjustable measuring scoop 72constructed in accordance with the invention. The scoop 72 has a slider78, and a handle 74. The handle is specifically marked with indicia 92which indicate the relative strength of coffee made with an amount ofground coffee corresponding to the location of the rear edge 106 of theslider at one of the indicia. That is, for example, when the rear edge102 of the slider 78 is aligned with the “WEAK” position, percolatedcoffee using the amount of coffee in the scoop will be relatively weak.The other indicia are marked with differing degrees of strength of theresulting coffee, with the largest volume measurement corresponding to“STRONG” coffee. Of course, the handle markings 92 can indicate volumemeasurements (e.g., “one cup,” “½ cup,” etc.)

The scoop 72, or a spoon made with the same construction, is capable ofmeasuring liquids without leakage because of a sliding dam 84construction which provides good sealing without the use of a co-moldedsealing member at the edges of the sliding dam member 84.

The body of the scoop 72 has a bowl 76 integral with a handle 74. Thebowl has sidewalls 96 and 98, a front wall 94 and a bottom wall 102 (seeFIG. 7). The bowl 76 also has a rear wall 104 with a central projection106 which serves as the rear stop member for the slider 78. The slider78 has a beveled area 100 at the junction between the vertical damportion 84 and the horizontal cover portion.

In accordance with one of the features of the invention, the sliding dammember 84 is semi bowl-shaped; the bowl has rounded outer portions 86and a tapered, relatively thin edges 88 which make intimate contact withthe internal sidewalls and bottom of the bowl to provide a sealed areawhich is capable of holding liquids without any substantial leakage.

The sliding cover member 72 has side flanges 80 and 82 which fit overthe upper edges of the bowl and the sides of the handle 74. Each flange80, 82 has an internal longitudinal spline or ridge 110 (FIGS. 6 and 9)which fits into a groove 111 in the outer surface of the sidewall 96 or98 to serve to hold the slider onto the bowl and provide a track onwhich the slider moves. Like the sliding dam structure of the spoonshown in FIGS. 1 through 5, the cover or slider 78 can be snapped on andsnapped off of the scoop body so as to be separable for easy cleaning.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged, broken away view of the edge 88 and curvedportion 86 of the sliding dam member 84. It can be seen that the loweredge 88 is tapered and is considerably thinner in cross section than therest of the dam member 84.

FIG. 9 shows the cross-section 112 of the outer edge 88 and how the edge88 forms a seal with the inner surface of a sidewall of the bowl 76.

The outer edges 88 of the dam structure contact the inner walls of thebowl at a small or low angle “A”. This greatly increases the flexibilityof the edges 88. The dam member 84 is dimensioned so that it will fit inthe bowl 76 with a slight interference fit to urge the flexible edges 88against the bowl walls and provide a good seal. The low angle “A”assures that the areas of contact of the edges 88 with the internalwalls of the bowl is relatively large so as to assure the formation ofgood seals. The engagement of the flanges 80, 82 with the splines 110should be firm enough to resist the tendency of the interference fir toseparate the slider from the bowl.

As it is evident from FIGS. 6 and 9, the edges 88 of the dam member 84extend upwardly to the junction points 101 and 103 so as to provide aseal all the way up to the top edge of the bowl 76 to minimize thechances of leakage. Thus, the vulnerable area for leakage is effectivelysealed by the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 through 9 without a co-moldedsealing member. This saves considerably in the cost of manufacturing thedevice. It is believed that the structure at the junction points willminimize any tendencies for liquids to be wicked upwardly.

Preferably, the materials of which the sliding dam member 84 are madehave relatively low viscosity when liquid, and thus are relatively easyto mold into thin cross-sections such as the edges 88. Preferredmaterials for this purpose are nylon 6 or nylon 66 and high densitypolypropylene. Each of these materials flows readily when liquid and hasa high degree of flexibility when solid. In addition, each of thesematerials has a high degree of lubricity, thus helping to assure thatthe slider 78 slides relatively easily.

Although it is not shown, a detent structure like that in the FIGS. 1-5embodiment also is provided in the adjustable scoop 72.

Preferably, angle “A” shown in FIG. 8 is considerably less than 45° andvaries from a low of about 9° to a high of about 16° . The preferredangle is about 13° . These ranges of angles provide the best combinationof flexibility and sealing qualities. If angle “A” is too large, therewill be insufficient contact area for the edge 88, and if “A” is toosmall, there may be too much drag which may overly impede movement ofthe slider.

The thickness of the material at the edges 88 preferably is around ½millimeter.

Although the seal may not need to be as tight when measuring drymaterials as when measuring liquids, it is preferred to make all of themeasuring devices with liquid-tight seals regardless of whether they areintended to measure liquids, because a homeowner may decide to use thedevice in a way that it was not intended to be used and that personshould not be disappointed. Moreover, using a standardized constructionfor all devices can lead to manufacturing cost savings.

It can be seen from the foregoing that the objectives of the inventionhave been fully met by the embodiments shown and described above.

The above description of the invention is intended to be illustrativeand not limiting. Various changes or modifications in the embodimentsdescribed may occur to those skilled in the art. These can be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

1. An adjustable measuring device comprising (a) a body member having anelongated bowl and a handle, said bowl having side walls with upperedges, a rear wall, a front wall, and a bottom wall, (b) a slidablecover mounted to slide on said upper edges of said side walls and havinga dam member with an outer edge shaped to match the internal contours ofsaid bowl to provide a movable rear wall for said bowl, (c) said coverhaving a pair of side flanges extending downwardly over said upper edgesof said side walls and being flexible and dimensioned to snap onto andoff of said bowl, and forming an upper edge-receiving space between eachof said flanges and said dam member, (d) said darn member having aunitary one-piece structure with a flexible outer edge, said dam memberbeing dimensioned to make an interference fit with the inner surfaces ofsaid bottom wall and said sidewalls of said bowl, and said outer edgecontacting said surfaces at an acute angle of substantially less than45°.
 2. An adjustable measuring device as in claim 1 in which said dammember in its center is substantially perpendicular to said sidewallsand said bottom wall, and said acute angle is between about 9° and about16°.
 3. An adjustable measuring device as in claim 1 in which said dammember is tapered to make said outer edge thinner in cross-section thanthe remainder of said dam member.
 4. An adjustable measuring devicecomprising (a) a body member having a bowl member for containing avariable volume of material to be measured and dispensed, said bowlhaving a bottom wall, a front end wall, a back end wall and a pair ofsidewalls. (b) said sidewalls having tracks extending from adjacent saidfront end wall to at least adjacent said rear end wall and shaped toslidingly support a darn member mounted to slide on said tracks tovariably position said dam in said bowl to effectively vary the volumethereof, (c) a slidable dam member mounted in said bowl to slide on saidtracks and having a unitary one-piece structure with bottom and sideedges, said side and bottom edges of said dam member respectivelycontacting the inner surfaces of said sidewalls and said bottom wall ofsaid bowl at an angle substantially less than 45°.
 5. A device as inclaim 4 in which the material of which said dam member and its edges aremade is a single flexible thermoplastic material.
 6. A device as inclaim 4 in which said edges of said dam member are tapered incross-section with the outer portions of said edges being thinner thanthe portion of said dam member located inwardly from said edges.
 7. Adevice as in claim 4 in which said angle is between approximately 9° and16°.
 8. A device as in claim 7 in which said angle is approximately 13°.9. A device as in claim 4 in which the entirety of the material of whichsaid dam member is made is selected from the group consisting of nylonand high-density polypropylene.
 10. A device as in claim 4 in which saiddam member and said edges of said dam member are made of a thermoplasticmaterial which is flexible and slides easily over the interior surfaceof said bowl member.
 11. A device as in claim 4 in which said dam memberis dimensioned to fit into said bowl with an interference fit betweensaid darn member and said bowl.
 12. A device as in claim 4 including ahandle integral with and extending outwardly from said bowl member, saidtracks extending onto side edges of said handle.
 13. A device as inclaim 4 in which said dam member is semi bowl-shaped and has both sideand bottom edges curved to form a seal on the sides as well as thebottom of said dam member.
 14. A device as in claim 12 in which saidhandle bears a plurality of measurement indicia and said dam memberincluding a cover member, said cover and said indicia being dimensionedfor the rear edge to align with each of said indicia to indicate theapproximate quantity of material in said bowl at each location, therebeing a detent to hold and ascertain the location of said dam member ateach of said indicia.